For anyone who often uses a sleeping bag, it is also crucial to clean it up every now and then. Even though you have not used your sleeping bag in a while and it has been thrown somewhere in your garage, if you are sure you don’t want to throw it in the trash later, you have to know how to clean your sleeping bag! Cleaning your sleeping bag may sound like a hassle, but in reality, it’s not all that bad.
There are a few methods, or you might as well call them hacks, that will help you clean your sleeping bag with ease. To know more about how to clean a sleeping bag, make sure to read till the end of this article!
Should you wash your sleeping bag every time you use it?
Here is something for you to have a sense of relief, you really don’t need to wash your sleeping bag every time you use it. It is good to wash your sleeping bag once or twice a year though. Even though you have not been using your sleeping bag for a few years, it would only be wise that you clean it up regardless. Though it is not necessary for you, you will be avoiding lots of fuss in times of rush if you really do wash your bag on a random day once a year. Similarly, you can send your sleeping bag to a washer and dryer at your local laundromat if you really don’t want to bother cleaning it up by yourself.
Why should you clean your sleeping bag?
There are so many reasons why you should keep your sleeping bag clean. Things get worse when anyone besides a single person has used the same sleeping bag. We are talking hygiene and health here!
When you haven’t washed your sleeping bag in a while, it is obvious that it stores body oils, greasy bodily residues, as well as dust, and other unsanitary objects to stick on it. And when you use it the same way next time, one can only think of what he is putting himself into. Hence, in order to not compromise your health or hygiene, you need to clean your sleeping bag.
How to clean a sleeping bag?
Many people wonder how they can clean their sleeping bags. For your information, it is nothing as hassling as one might think it is when you know the right procedures. However, you need to primarily keep in mind the things that you should not do when you are cleaning your sleeping them, two of them being sending it to a dry cleaner and letting dirt build up in your sleeping bag whenever you are at a camp.
Furthermore, you can follow the steps below to wash a sleeping bag in different ways.
Cleaning a sleeping bag with a machine
There are different methods to use when you are cleaning a down sleeping bag and a synthetic sleeping bag. For a down sleeping bag, you need to check the labels of the bag for any instructions from the makers. More often than not, you will find an instruction label that will guide you through your washing process. Using a front loader commercial washing machine is the best option for you to wash a down. In case you don’t have a machine already available to you, then you can go for a hand wash.
Also, keep in mind not to use your standard detergent wash as it may create lumps in your sleeping bag. Instead, you can go for a gear wash like Nikwax. Do not keep your bags zipped, either. Remove any cleaning agent. Make sure to leave no moisture in the bag, and finally, dry it out.
For synthetic bags, again, you will have to read the instructions from the makers. The process of cleaning synthetic bags and down bags is that the maker’s instructions may vary from one another. Besides that, you can simply follow the same instructions as the one mentioned above.
Drying a sleeping bag
Drying your sleeping bag really should not be all that hard when you have a commercial-size dryer. Visit your laundromat for the best results. Do not set your dryer at high heat. A tip to keep the loftiness of your sleeping bag intact would be to pop two tennis balls inside the machine. This will decrease any lumps inside your bag. Run the machine as long as your bag is not dry. If you want to dry your bag without taking it to the laundromat, you can simply place it on a flat surface at a place where you don’t get direct sunlight.
Handwashing a sleeping bag
You can wash your sleeping bag by hand by keeping it inside a bathtub. Do not use too much soap. Rub all the areas of your sleeping bag gently and let it soak for around 15 minutes. Drain out any amount of water from the bag, and transport your bag to the laundromat for drying. The only possible method to dry your bag out entirely without creating any lumps inside it would be to take it to the laundromat. Washing your bag at home, however, will help you in cleaning any extra areas that a machine wouldn’t clean.
How to spot-clean a sleeping bag?
When you are cleaning your sleeping bag at home, you need to know how to clean every spot in it. You cannot just clean the bag for the sake of it and consider it clean. Hence, there are few requirements to cleaning a bag without leaving out any spot for which you will be needing a very mild soap. A toothbrush with soft bristles is also applicable if you want to lessen the time taken to clean the smaller spots. Another great way to ease up your cleaning process and work your hands out lesser is that you can use a wet sponge and put some mild soap in it. Be very gentle, as you do not want your bags to have any lumpy areas or fade.
One more thing that becomes crucial is you should not let the shell or liner fabric be held with the insulation. Do not let the inner fill get wet. When this happens, it takes much longer for you to dry the bag out, which in turn will result in more hassle for you.
Also, read:
